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this page a duplicate - see 2 images back 65 P. 8. were, some of them so remote as not to be able to hear? his voice, he raised the war whoop, which was immediately caught by all the warriors who heard it, and unclear echoed in every part of the town, Each warrior, on hearing? the war whoop, started for the place of rendezvous, i.e. the house of the above chief officer, who, on their arrival, immediately sounded the war trumpet, and pitched battle. But suppose another nation sent a challenge to this man? or declared war against him, on receiving the challenge he consulted his privy council, and returned answer that he would meet the man, or nation thus challenging. He then immediately despatched his runner to the highest war officer, who immediately started his messenger, and thus runners were on the wing, night and day, till the whole nation was informed. Each officer, on receiving the message, and starting his runner to the next town, immediately called his warriors, either by speaking lowly, or by the war whoop, and hastened to the national standard.
On arriving at head quarters all came under the general command of the chief Captain, or Captains of the unclear yet under him were officers of various grades, some over fifty, some over a hundred &c. The warriors being collected, the chief officer addressed them, in effect as follows. "I see you all here. You have turned your feet toward the darkness, (dark scenes) but it was not because I wished it. Let us consider however, that if we conquer our enemies it will be because God fights for us; and if we return in safety, it will be because God preserves us. Therefore put your trust in God. The light is his, and He can make it light about you. The war flag being then hoisted, seven men from the first company stepped forward toward the fire, and one laid down a war club. Then the whole seven commenced the war song. The first verse of which was, yo we hi hi yo we ye, four times repeated. Having sung the verse, one stepped forward, took up the war club, and marched back and forth with it, while the others raised the war whoop. And so on through the other six verses.
This ceremony was performed by seven men successively out of each company; and then the war dance commenced, in this each warrior had his principal weapon raised in his right hand. All formed a circle round the fire, and war standard, led by the right hand